Mitzie Schafer is a Deacon in the ELCA called by the South Carolina Synod as a full-time consultant with GSB Fundraising helping nonprofits and churches tell their story in ways that increase engagement. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) specializing in strategic planning, annual fund, planned giving, and CAGA Model Storytelling training and coaching. She has more than 15 years of experience in non-profit executive leadership and fund-raising for organizations including Epworth Children’s Home in Columbia, SC, the ELCA Foundation, and NovusWay.
One of her specialties is helping non-profit organizations implement systematic, best practice approaches that shift toxic institutional cultures to healthy, thriving ministries. The focus is on transparency, human resource management, communication, and accountability. She utilizes these strategies to strengthen relationships among staff, the board, and constituents. Healthy organizations raise more money.
She also specializes in growing passion, engagement, and giving to non-profits. In her first 3 years at Epworth, she implemented a system she designed and titled “CAGA Storytelling.” The annual fund grew from $1.4 million to $2.6 million. At NovusWay, using the same system, she grew giving 68% over 12 months. In her last two years at the ELCA Foundation, she helped congregation members take the necessary steps to create charitable estate plans that will gift more than $24 million to churches, church-related non-profits, and other charities.
She served a term on the SC Synod Council and has served on the Bishop’s Mutual Ministry Committee for 10 years. Mitzie is an avid quilter, writing her own patterns in Prosperity, SC where she lives with her husband, Pastor Jason, and two high school-aged children, Ella and Micah.
Thank you for watching this video for the ELCA South Carolina Synod. #ELCA #SCSynod